Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY.US) has received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its long-term weight management indications for Trulicity (dulaglutide injection).
On July 19th, Eli Lilly and Co.'s Trulicity (dulaglutide injection) for long-term weight management indications received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China. Trulicity is the first and currently the only glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that has been approved for glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP)/GLP-1 receptor.
Trulicity can bind and activate GIP and GLP-1 receptors, regulate appetite, reduce food intake, lower body weight and reduce fat.
The approval of a large number of weight-loss drugs provides more choices for Chinese patients currently using Novo Nordisk's Ozempic. Ozempic is approved only for diabetes treatment.
Domestic pharmaceutical companies are racing to produce generic drugs of Semaglutide, the main active ingredient of Wegovy and other popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic. Other companies are also competing to conduct late-stage clinical trials for domestic weight-loss drugs, hoping to obtain regulatory approval as early as next year.
China's obesity rate is on the rise, making it a crucial market for Eli Lilly and other companies. In the latest nationwide survey conducted by the National Health Commission of China from 2015 to 2019, more than half of adults were in an unhealthy weight range, with 34.3% overweight and 16.4% obese.